FRIENDS OF HISTORY

FRIENDS of HISTORY NEWSLETTER
PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY (SUMMER 1997)

FRIENDS OF HISTORY START A NEW YEAR

The Friends are off to a quick start this year. At its June meeting, after discussing several proposed themes, the theme 'Vengeance in History,' a proposal by Charlie White, was adopted by the Board as the theme upon which to base the year's events. The Board felt that a theme based on vengeance was a challenging subject which brings forward multiple sub-themes such as turning the other cheek, freedom resulting from the act of killing, justification of revolt, watering the tree of freedom with blood, punishment in history, etc.
A panel discussion, based on vengeance, is well into the planning stages and is currently set for October 23, 1997. This event is again, as was last year's panel discussion, the kick-off event for the PSU Alumni Weekend. At the time of going to press, the panel discussion has been booked into the Vanport room, and is scheduled to start at 7:00 PM. (Doors open at approximately 6:00 pm). The panel is comprised of Professors Gordon Dodds (History Dept.) who will serve as moderator, David Horowitz (History Dept.), Gary Perlstein (Dept. Administration of Justice), Hugo Maynard (Dept. Psychology), Reverend John Rosenberg and Judge Owen Panner (U.S. District Court Judge). So please mark your calendar, this should prove to be a lively event and well worth attending. The event committee is also working away on the endowed lecture as well as several other event proposals and we will let you know as they become decided.
Stephen Heard, President
Friends of History

Pacific Coast Branch of the American Historical Association will hold its annual meeting in Portland, Oregon on August 8 - 10, 1997 at the Benson Hotel. The Friends of History is one of the sponsors for this event . Through their help, a Free Fish Film Forum takes place on Saturday, August 9, at 7:30 pm at the Northwest Film Center. The films will include Work is Our Joy: Columbia River Gillnetters and Our Strength is From the Fish. More information is available at Benson Hotel and Northwest Film Center, (503/221-1156).

Many Thanks to the Retired Board Members for all their hard work in the past: Lorin Anderson, Steven Hallberg, Caroline Stoel, Robina Percival, Patricia Schechter and Debbie Rosenberg.

LETTER FROM THE CHAIR

Summer school courses are moving apace as I write this in mid-July. As always we have an array of courses taught by a range of faculty, many of whom are visitors to the campus. Several of these visitors are alumni of the department graduate program who have returned to teach for us. We are grateful to June Benowitz, Allen Hauser, Joe Laythe, and John Rosenberg for assisting us in this way.
Several of our faculty are also participating in the annual meeting of the Pacific Coast Branch of the American Historical Association to be held here in Portland. Patricia Schechter performed the arduous duties of local arrangements chair and will participate in a round table discussion of western women in the twentieth century. David Johnson is chairing a session on sacred and secular conversion narratives. David Horowitz will present a paper on community solidarity among Klansmen: La Grande, Oregon, 1922-1924.
Heartiest congratulations to Professor Bill Lang for securing the largest grant ever obtained by a member of the department. This grant of $499,000 came from the Department of Education to fund three programs to the year 2000.
Gordon B. Dodds

Congratulations to two of our graduate students, Jennifer Blacke and Michelle Clements, who won the Oregon Sports Lottery Graduate Scholarships for 1997-1998. This highly competitive award pays a $10,000 stipend plus tuition remission.
Friends of History
Board of Directors

Officers

Stephen Heard, President
Beryl Dahl, Vice-President
Erica Goodwin, Secretary
Lynn Mackenzie, Treasurer

Kimberly Barta
Charles Digregorio
Gordon B. Dodds
History Department Chair
Vaughn Hill
Sylvia Gray Kaplan
Danielle Larson, Past President
Julia Lay
George Nash
Dr. Richard Olmsted
Caroline Stoel
Terri Thiesen
Roberta Ulrich

Honorary Directors

Bernard V. Burke
Daniel Bernstine

The Friends of History newsletter is published quarterly by the Friends of History at Portland State University. The Friends of History is a group of individuals interested in history who believe that the Department of History at PSU offers a strong program worthy of community attention and support. In an age increasingly dependent on technology, the Friends of History shares a conviction that the disciplines inherent in historical analysis are vital not only to the preservation of the humanities, but to all sound thinking. The Friends of History promotes excellence in the teaching and study of history within the University and strives to increase awareness of this resource in the Portland metropolitan area.

Editors:Tina Tankersley
Charles M. White